Strawberry rhubarb pie is a classic summer dessert for a good reason. Sweet strawberries are a perfect match for the tart rhubarb that make up the pie's delicious filling. You can quickly mix up the strawberry rhubarb filling and let it sit while you make the rest of your pie. This will ensure that the sugary filling turns syrupy and coats the strawberries and rhubarb. You'll soon find that making the filling is the easiest part of this pie.

Steps

Part 1

Making the Strawberry Rhubarb Filling

1

Wash and cut the strawberries. Wash 6 ounces of strawberries. Take a sharp small knife and carefully trim off the stems of the strawberries. Throw away the stems. Cut the strawberries into halves, if they're small, or quarters, if they're large.[1]

You should end up with about 1 cup of chopped strawberries. If you like more strawberries in the filling, adjust the ratio. For example, you could use 3 cups of strawberries and reduce the rhubarb to 4 cups.

2

Wash and cut the rhubarb. Wash 1 3/4 pounds (600 g) of rhubarb. Ensure that you wash away any dirt near the ends of the stalks. Take a large chef's knife and carefully cut off and discard the ends of the stalks. Cut the stalks into 3/4-inch thick pieces.[2]

You should end up with about 6 cups of chopped rhubarb.

3

Measure out the remaining ingredients. Place the chopped strawberries and chopped rhubarb into a large mixing bowl. Measure out and add the remaining filling ingredients to the bowl. You'll need:[3]

Stir the filling and let it sit. Take a large spoon and toss the sugar, cornstarch, juice, and salt in with the strawberries and rhubarb. The strawberries and rhubarb should be completely coated in the sugary mixture. Let the filling sit for about 30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the pie. You'll notice the mixture becomes syrupy the longer it sits.[4]

You can now bake the strawberry rhubarb filling in a pie or tart or use it in another dessert recipe.

Part 2

Baking a Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

1

Whisk the dry pie crust ingredients with the butter and shortening. Place all of the dry ingredients along with the shortening and butter in a large mixing bowl. Use a pastry blender or a fork to combine the flour with the fats. Continue cutting in the butter and shortening until the dry ingredients become crumbly or sandy. You'll need:[5]

Mix the wet ingredients and combine the pastry ingredients. Crack one egg into a small mixing bowl and add 2 teaspoons of vinegar. Whisk the egg and vinegar to completely break up the yolk. Whisk in 1/4 cup (60 ml) of ice cold water. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and stir it together just to combine the dough.[6]

Avoid stirring the dough too much or you'll risk overworking the dough. This will make the pastry tough.

Ensure that the water you use is completely ice cold or the pastry won't be tender and flaky.

3

Form the dough into disks and chill them. Use your hands to form the dough into a ball and divide it in half. Roll and flatten the pieces of dough into 2 disks. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate it. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes.[7]

Chilling the dough relaxes the gluten so the pastry will be tender.

4

Preheat the oven and roll out the dough. Turn on the oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C). Sprinkle some flour on your counter and place one chilled disk of dough on it. Use a rolling pin to evenly roll the pie crust out. For a 9-inch pie, you should roll an 11-inch circle. Place the rolled dough in the bottom of your pie plate.[8]

You should have dough sticking up and over the side of the pie plate. Don't cut or crimp it until you've added the top layer of pastry.

5

Spread the strawberry rhubarb filling in the pie shell. Scoop your unbaked strawberry rhubarb filling into the pie plate. Cut 3 tablespoons of butter into small pieces and place them all over the filling.[9]

The butter will give the strawberry rhubarb pie a rich flavor.

6

Roll out the top crust and place it over the filling. Sprinkle flour over your counter or workspace and roll out the second disk of chilled dough. Roll the dough out to a 10 or 11-inch circle and place it over the filling. Pinch or crimp the edges of the dough to seal the top and bottom layers of pie crust. Cut a few slits in the top of the crust. Dip a pastry brush in one beaten egg and spread it over the top crust. Sprinkle the top of the pie with 1 tablespoon of coarse sugar.[10]

If you want a lighter crust, use an egg-white wash instead of using one whole beaten egg.

7

Bake the strawberry rhubarb pie. Cover the edges of the pie with a pie guard or wrap foil around the edges. Put the pie in the preheated oven and bake it for 15 minutes. Then turn down the heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and bake it for another 45 to 50 minutes. The crust should turn golden brown and the filling may bubble up through the top of the crust.[11]

If you live at high altitude, you may need to bake the pie at 450 degrees F (232 C) and 400 degrees F (204 C).

Let the pie cool a little before you serve it. This will help it set up and thicken a little.